Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Your own personal Jesus (2)

Have you ever faced the problem of wanting very badly (for some reason) to self-identify with a religion well known for its homophobia, anti-feminism, or both? There's an easy way to have your cake and eat it too. Just redefine that religion so that it matches whatever you want to believe. Who cares about the obvious intellectual dishonesty, especially if the actual definition of the religion requires acknowledgment of that religion's magisterium and adherence to theological correctness as determined by that magisterium? Who cares that you've redefined your supposed faith beyond recognition? It's how you feel that counts.

For instance, if you want to be the sort of person who is a Catholic, but you cannot be bothered actually to be a Catholic, just declare your particular belief system to be True Catholicism™. All these centuries, the people appointed (supposedly by your God) to define what Catholicism is have been getting it wrong, and we've all been waiting for you, the one authoritative source, to set the record straight. Your trendy gnosticism, eighties new-age woo, or whatever you feel like believing is True Catholicism™ because you say it is.

When people try to explain to you how egregiously you're misrepresenting your religion, they will soon realize that arguing with you about it is like trying to nail oatmeal to the wall. Once they have given up trying to talk sense into you, you can declare victory.

About Me

Just another gay, rationalist, kinky, evangelical Protestant turned atheist, Libertarian papa bear trapped in a twink's body. I am trying to recruit as many people as possible into the "think for yourself" lifestyle choice so that we all can attain the special privileges of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.